Cruise ship runs aground off Bahamas

While heading to Port Lucaya near Freeport, Bahamas on Saturday, the 93,000-ton MSC Poesiaran aground on top of a reef. The cruise line hasn’t released a statement yet but the ship was later free during high-tide and was able to move to it’s next port of call.

The grounding didn’t stop the beach-goers as tender boats were able to ferry passengers from anchorage (or reefage) to the shores of Port Lucaya.

According to Captain Archer, a local captain in the port, “they waited for a tide to get high at 1800hrs she was pulled off with 4 tugs and a fifth standing by. At 2000hrs, she was free and continued on her journey at 19.5 knots to little Salvador. So I assume minimal damage, if any (with that speed)!”

MSC Poesia was on a special three-day music charter cruise to Grand Bahamas Island and Half-Moon Cay. Divers are expected to access reef damage today.

12:45 pm Update: A statement from MSC Cruises was released. “In navigating the harbor off Port Lucaya in the Grand Bahamas, MSC Poesia ran aground at 6:50 a.m. Saturday morning. The ship and its guests were always completely safe and all onboard equipment and services continued to operate normally including all previously scheduled tender service and shore excursions,” said a spokeswoman with the company.

Really? Do we not even care about the crew, the passengers and the people working the tug boats? I too am saddened that there was damage to the reefs, but my ‘first’ concern would have been for my fellow man! I’m just saying’!

I was on the ship when this happened. It was definitely unusual, and since we were in port at the time I wonder if it was the pilot boat’s misdirection or the captain’s mistake. All was well on the boat, although we couldn’t use the pool all day–the water is pumped up from the bottom and I guess it was clogged. There were actually six tugs pulling around sunset, the cables on two of them snapped. It was a pretty intense moment. We were stuck all day and once the tide came in they really dug in their heels. I wonder if the near-full moon affected the tide, causing the already-shallow water to be even shallower, landing the Poesia on the reef. Here is a video I took: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvJfxDITp_o&feature=share